Release for hair curlers



Dec. 8, 1936. EY 2,963,519

RELEASE FOR HAIR CURLERS Filed Nov. 29, 1955 Patented Dec. 8, 1936 stares E A "at .1

T QFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a hair waving device, and particularly to a clutch for releasing the tension on the spool or shaft on which the hair to be curled is wound.

An object of the invention is to provide a hair curling device wherein the hair is wound on a spool or shaft and thereby placed under tension, said spool or shaft having a clutch therein for preventing the spool or shaft from rotating and thereby allowing the hair to unwind, means being provided to release the clutch, and to thereby release the tension on the wound hair, whereby the hair curling device may be quickly and easily removed.

Other objects and advantages are to provide a release for hair curlers that will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience in use and general efficiency.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form. it may be embodied.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a conventional form of hair waving device.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken thru an end of the hair curling device, showing a release mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken thru Fi 4, on the line 5-5.

Fig. 6 is an end view partly in section, taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing comprises a conventional form of hair holder and curler consisting of plates 83 having a pair of complementary base members I and 2 arranged on the under side thereof. The base members I and 2 are permanently attached to the under side of the respective plates 8, while the plates 8-8 at one end thereof are pivotally connected by a bar 3, whereby the member 2 may be swung apart from the member I. At the other end of the plate 83 on the member I, I have provided one form of a clamp for locking the base member 2 in parallelism with the member i, said clamp consisting of a bar 5 pivoted.

at 6 to the under side of the plate 8, the other end of said bar having a earn 7 thereon adapted to be frictionally engaged with the side of the base member 2, for holding it in proper position relative to the base member I. 5

The matching faces t-t of the: members I and 2 are provided with material or surfacing thereon capable of holding a strand of hair in a non-sliding position.

Standards or brackets 9-9 are provided on 10 the upper surface of the base member I at each of the opposite ends thereof, which standards project over and lie above the base member 2, when it is locked in the closed position. Each standard 9 is provided with a vertically disposed slot II! therein.

A spool or mandrel I I on which the hair to be curled is wound, is adapted to be rotatably conlined in the opposite guide slots ID of the standards 9-3. The spool or mandrel I I, at one end thereof, is provided with a circular shaft I2, which shaft is rotatably journaled in one of the standards 9. The other end of the spool II is provided with a dual diametered bore I3 therein.

A circular bushing IQ- is rotatably mounted in the larger diametered portion of the bore I2, the outer end of said bushing I4 having a flat sided head I5 thereon, to rest in the slot II] in the other standard 9.

A spring wire snap ring I6 rests in complementary slots formed respectively in the inner circumference of the bore I3 and the outer circumference of the bushing I4, to prevent axial displacement of the bushing relative to the spool.

A coil spring I! is arranged within the smaller diametered portion of the bore I3, and said spring extends partway within the bushing I4. The spring I1 is wound relatively tight, so that one end thereof bears against the base I8 of the bore I3, while the other end of said spring bears against the base I9 in the bushing I4. The end Zli of the spring I! within the bushing I4 is bent across the diameter thereof, as shown in Fig. 5.

The bushing I4 is drilled out on its longitudinal axis to receive a shaft ZI, the inner end of said shaft being slotted to engage the diametrically disposed end 20 of the spring ll. A snap ring 22 is interposed between the bushing I4 and the shaft 2| to permit rotative movement of said shaft but to prevent axial movement thereof.

A knurled handle 23 is provided on the end of the shaft M to rotate said shaft and spring, as will be hereinafter described.

In the operation of imparting a wave or curl to the hair, a strand of hair is clamped between the members I and 2 at a point adjacent the scalp, whereby the hair which projects thru the holders I and 2 may be wound upon the spool or mandrel I. In winding the hair on the spool or mandrel, the same is removed from the holder and the extreme ends of the hair are held on the spool, in some conventional manner, and the operator rotates the spool with the hair confined thereon toward the scalp until the entire strand has been wound thereon. As the spool, with the hair thereon, reaches the holder, the operator places the same into the slots I on the opposite standards 9, and thereafter continues to rotate the spool by movement applied thereto, thru the end extension I2, until such time as the wound hair has been placed under the desired degree of tension. It will be noted that the spool I I rotates about the bushing I4, the squared end of said bushing preventing it from turning in the standard. The end of the spring I'I bears against the base I8 of the bore I3 so that the spool may be rotated in one direction to wind the hair on the spool, but may not move in the opposite direction. The contact or engagement between the end of the spring I? and the base I8 of the bore I3 is such that the end of the spring expands into frictional contact therewith, and thereby prevents such rotative movement of the spool II as would permit the hair to unwind or become loosened. When hair is tightly wound on the spool II, it exerts a force directly against the spring, and tends to unwind it, but due to the close Wrap of the spring, the spring cannot give, and as a result, the spool is held immovable.

The spring I! in its relation to the spool I I, is that of a one-way clutch. When the hair is wound tightly on the spool, the spring I I is placed under tension sufficient to prevent the spool from turning. Upon completion of the hair Waving operation, or if for any other reason it should be desired to release hair wound on the spool, the operator merely rotates the shaft 2 I to declutch or disconnect the spring I! from the spool, whereby the tension on the wound hair is released, and the spool may be removed from the standards. When the hair is wound on the spool, the said spool rotates in a clockwise direction relative to the end of the spring, and when it is desired to release the connection between the spring and the spool, the spring is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction by the shaft 2 I.

I have found that by embodying a release mechanism of the kind heretofore described, in a hair curler, that it is possible to release the curlers from the hair with absolutely no discomfiture to the patient. The usual type of hair curler is not provided with any means for releasing the tension on the hair curler, other than by opening up the members which clamp the hair adjacent the scalp, and then manipulating the holder into an inverted position so that the spool may be discharged or released therefrom. This procedure usually causes the patient a great deal of discomfort, and where the head is blocked out with a number of hair holders and curlers throughout the entire area thereof, it is exceedingly difficult to release the hair from the curlers. With my release mechanism, tension on the hair can be released quickly and easily, and the hair curling apparatus can be removed from the head without hurting the patient in the slightest degree.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A release for hair curlers, comprising a base having slotted standards at its opposite ends; a

spool, on which hair to be curled is Wound, having a shaft fixed to the spool at one end and a shaft on which the spool is journaled at its other end, said end shafts being demountably confined in the opposite slotted standards; a spring clutch arranged in the spool adjacent the shaft on which the spool is journaled permitting one way rotation of the spool to wind hair thereon; and means operable thru the last mentioned shaft to release the clutch from the spool to permit removal of the spool and unwinding of the hair.

2. A hair curling device, comprising in combination, a hair clamp, a hair curler demountably journaled on the clamp; a spring clutch located within the curler on the axis of rotation thereof and related to the clamp to permit one way rotation only of the curler; and means to release the spring clutch to permit rotation of the curler in either direction.

TOMLINSON I. MOSELEY. 

